Most people associate motorcycles with speed. But this pretty little SR250 SE from Hookie Co. is all about slowing down and enjoying life. With just 20 horsepower on tap, a mid-80s SR250 isn’t going to break any speed records. (Braking is via good old-fashioned drums.) But that’s just fine for Nico Mueller, the Dresden-based designer and builder of this bike.
“The speed of everyday life steals away creativity and ideas. So why not slow down, relax more, and concentrate on whatever you love to do?” he says. “For us, that means pottering around on motorcycles, being outside, and enjoying life.”
The SR250 SE is Hookie’s twelfth build, but the first in a planned collection called ‘Slow Down.’ “We got the bike in very good condition,” says Mueller. “The chrome was perfect, and it had just 10,000 km on the clock.”
As the Hookie crew stripped the SR250 SE down, they began collecting ideas. “We found most of our inspiration from classic Triumph bobbers—the solo seat, a clean rear section, and a peanut tank,” says Mueller. “We wanted to build a comfortable, practical and reliable motorcycle. And one that only reveals all the custom details on the second look.”
The peanut tank has been tunneled and massaged to get the cleanest possible lines, with the petcock discreetly hidden. The stock SR250 SE is a bit of a high rider, so the next job was to lower the forks by almost three inches. The shocks are YSS Eco-Line. The welding gear came out to create a new rear frame loop, with brackets to support the classic solo seat—and keep a pair of luggage straps in place.
Another pair of straps lash an insulated Thermobottle to the frame, perfect for keeping a supply of hot tea or coffee to ward off the chill of a cold German winter. A new wiring loom completes the restoration. It’s hooked up to a tiny Antigravity 4-cell battery, which powers the equally compact headlight and even smaller blinkers.
Hookie Co. bikes are always beautifully finished. At first glance this one looks ‘basic black,’ but there’s a twist: an ultra-glossy ‘black chrome’ finish on the tank. It’s one of many neat, thoughtful touches. “This isn’t a big bike with tuned carbs or bored-out cylinders,” Mueller says. “It’s a daily driver, and then your ride to the woods or the beach. It doesn’t matter how slow you drive, as long as you don’t stop.”
In an increasingly frantic world, that sounds like a philosophy we can happily adopt. Hookie Co. website | Facebook | Instagram | Images by David Ohl
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